Voodoo Doll
by Atem no koibito
Summary: A strange situation renders both Yugi and Yami unable to communicate. Attacks by a mysterious person followed with orders to not tell a single soul... it leaves them shaken. Especially Yami. When the attacks suddenly change course and the enemy makes herself known, Yami soon realises it is indeed an old enemy come back. One, that's after him. To ruin. AU
1. Chapter 1

**Yay! You do not know how excited I am to finally have this story return to my fanfiction account. It was so successful and many loved it! However, to make it better and much nicer to read, I spent some time editing all the chapters so that there is no severely long wait between updates unlike my other stories. Old readers, if you choose to re-read, I hope you like the editing and better writing, plus the extra details. And new readers, I do hope you like this. RedRosePetal, I know you've been waiting for this story return for quite a while. Sorry for the wait, and here you all go!**

 **WARNING – Torture.**

 **PS: This is NOT yaoi. There are NO pairings in this fanfic.**

 **PSS: This story does not collide with the updates of my other stories. This story is COMLETE. I have all the chapters ready to post so don't think I'll fall even more behind with my other stories.**

 **Enjoy! :)**

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Voodoo Doll

Chapter 1

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 **Drip. Drip. Drip.**

 **That was the sound which echoed throughout the small, dingy, cold room. Grey walls were shrouded in darkness, the concrete floor discoloured from mold and grime, while cracks and holes littered the area. A broken down parking lot was what the room looked like, and replacing the concrete pillars were two, old, scratched wooden posts that held the aged ceiling up that seemed to be fighting to come down, bringing everything on top of it downward as well. Excluding the wooden stairs that led to a mysterious door at the top, there wasn't much décor in the room other than the listed construction pieces. The only thing that filled the place was a lone, wooden table that sat in the center of the room, along with a colourful, small form of some sort laying on top of it.**

Yami clenched his eyes shut, his hands gripping the blanket that was wrapped loosely around him as sweat soaked his skin and slowly trailed down the side of his face. He breathed heavily, tossing back and forth while moonlight shone through the window and into the darkened room where his form laid.

 **Footsteps, the sound of heels tapping on the concrete was heard, and a black outline of a person walking menacingly towards the table was seen, soon followed by a tall body to match. A smirk was glued to this person's, a woman's, face as she walked, her thin, long fingers dragging across the table as she circled it with a shrewd smile, not taking her eyes off of the small body that laid hollow-like on the table. She stopped in front of it, and with a sly smile she dragged her index finger, her long, red painted nails, along the side of the tiny doll's pale face while its purple eyes stared blankly up at her.**

Yami shivered, cold breeze suddenly flying past him and leaving a tingling feeling on his face. He gripped the blanket harder, and froze, his breath caught in his throat.

 **Her finger caressed the doll's arm softly as she picked it up, only to suddenly slash a sharp and quick cut across the arm with a small knife that she produced from the almost invisible pocket of her dress. The fabric separated easily and stuffing popped out of the opening.**

Yami threw his head to the side, his teeth grinding together, and his eyes held shut tightly, refusing to open as a sharp pain rushed through his body, his abdomen throbbing dully.

 **The woman's soft chuckling grew louder as she caused cuts to rain down on the stuffed doll with multi-coloured hair. Arms, legs and chest held cuts, but not the face.**

 **Never the face.**

Searing pain made Yami's eyes shoot open, a scream bursting from his lips as he sat up in bed with a start. His arms and legs quivered, his entire body turning cold in just a matter of seconds. His clothes wetly stuck to his skin and he couldn't tell if it was just his sweat, or something else. Trembling he looked around his bedroom only to realise that it was still dark; too dark to see.

Throwing off the blanket, he slowly got out of bed whilst trying to reduce his moans as he moved. He managed to get himself to sit on the edge of the bed, stopping only to hold his sides, his eyes clenched tightly as pain seared through him. Gasping, he forced himself to stand and continue to walk towards the bathroom that was thankfully in his room. Flipping the lights on and hissing when the light invaded his eyesight, he gently reopened them and stepped on to the cold, white, tiled floor. He had to see what was happening to him. He had to make sure, that it was only a dream. Walking shakily, he stopped and looked into the full-body mirror only to have his eyes widen, his breathing getting faster and heavier, coming out in sharp gasps.

Blood.

Blood soaked his clothes. There was so much blood that the red liquid was still seeping through his grey t-shirt, and looking at the fresh wounds on his neck, he unfortunately knew what had caused the blood bath on his skin. It was cuts. Cuts were scattered all over his pale skin.

It was no dream.

 **She slowly picked up the doll, her grip tightening as her sneer turned into a mad, vengeful scowl. She ripped the doll's shirt off and gripped the knife tighter in her hands, and without hesitating she put the knife against the doll's chest, and wrote.**

Yami suddenly gasped and fell to his knees, grabbing his chest as agonising pain shot through his body. Kneeling over he leaned against the mirror only to look down at his body and notice the blood that had begun to seep on to his shirt, painting his hand with the red liquid. Eyes widening, he quickly and hastily reached down and tugged off the shirt, pulling it over his head, only to be rooted to the ground in horror as soon as he took it off. The shirt dropped from his hands and on to the floor. Right there in the center of his chest, he stared at the blood written words that were carved into his skin with glistening eyes.

 _Don't tell._

 **Laughter erupted around the dark room, the knife falling from her pale, slender hands and landing on the floor with a clatter. She dropped the doll on the table without care as her sickening laughter shook her to her core, her head falling back as she cackled crazily. She stomped her feet, her chuckles slowly ceasing, and once they did, she turned back around to give the doll a final glance.**

 **She smirked at the broken form triumphantly before turning around and walking away, more chortles leaving her lips as her footsteps once again echoed throughout the room. She left the doll where it was, leaving its glassy eyes to stare off into space with a smile on its face, its body remaining battered.**

Yami blankly stared at the words in a trance. Feeling lightheaded and suddenly cold, his vision began to dim. His eyes flickered open and closed, the room spinning around him, all bathed in red, and before he could catch himself, he fell back on to the cold ground, his vision darkening until he saw nothing.

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 **So, how was it? Please tell me you like the intro and that you're excited to see more. And, again, since this is an old story that I just edited and am re-uploading, the story is COMPLETE! Updates shall happen depending on the reviews.**

 **Oh, and the chapters get MUCH longer than this.**

 **Thank you for reading and do review please.**

 **Bye~**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey everyone! I'm back. And first things first, I've decided to revamp this story. No, don't worry. It's nothing too serious. I am just switching some chapters around, adding some chapters, (I've added three more) and overall making this fanfic longer because as I started to re-read everything again, I realised that the story was way too fast-paced. Things just seemed to be happening, and there was no solid thought process, especially in the beginning. The flow was also pretty bad. So, I took some time and rethought, and came to this decision. The plot is the same, just with some new additions. For fun, this was supposed to be the chapter for chapter 3! But, for the flow's sake, I moved it to 2. I hope you understand and continue to love the story. Thank you for the support last chapter. I really appreciate it all.**

 **REVIEWS~**

 **i – Yay! You're reading this story! :D So glad to have your support on this fic as well. But, now I have to work twice as hard! I'm ready to not slack off. However, I am so happy that you liked the first chapter. It was just an intro though. We'll see how I do on this chapter and the others to come. And, my personal writing style?! I have no idea how I got there, but I'll try to take what I've done in the previous chapter and apply it to the others. Thank you as always!**

 **Enjoy!**

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Voodoo Doll

Chapter 2

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Yami let out a groan from his position on the cold, tiled floor as he awoke, and slowly he opened his eyes only to snap them back shut when the glare of the bathroom light blinded him momentarily. His head throbbed dully and his entire body ached with pain; the reason as to why he was laying on the floor still foggy. He knew he couldn't continue to lay there forever though. He had to get moving. So, blinking sluggishly, he slowly pushed himself up with his arms, clenching his teeth together as each movement sent a spike of pain shooting through him.

Sitting on his legs now, his eyes slipped closed once more as the room suddenly began to spin again, and immediately his hand went to his head. He stayed in that position for a moment until his vision returned and was able to focus himself, and using the sink and the wall as his support, he pulled himself up.

A cold sweat broke out on his skin and his stomach churned uncomfortably as soon as he stood, and instinctively he brought his arms up and wrapped them around his torso as he leaned against the wall. He was doing everything in his power to keep his body up, stopping himself from passing out again, and now that his senses were returning, his stomach began churning in a different way this time as the memories of the night before crashed down. He could still feel the dry blood that was stuck on his flesh. They had hardened, sitting on his skin like a scab that was waiting to be peeled off.

Opening his eyes wider, Yami gazed down at his chest where the two words were written and gulped deeply before raising his eyes to look into the mirror in front of him. After a month of dealing with it, it still made him sick to see the splotches of blood and the number of scratches on his chest, those same marks littering the rest of his body. The scratches weren't anything serious that would need stitches, but he could feel the sting and burning sensation that made him prefer curling up in a spot and staying still rather than trying to do something to heal himself again. In the end, he had to do something, so shaking, he slowly unwrapped his arms from around him and with stiff legs he picked up the blood stained shirt that was on the ground and dropped it into the tub.

Twisting the tap on, he took off his bottoms and put them into the tub too before kneeling down and proceeded to wash the clothing slowly, his face expressionless and his eyes empty. He couldn't let anyone see the blood stains. He couldn't let anyone see him like this. If someone were to ask, that would only result in questions that he was unable to answer, forbidden to answer, so he had to do it now and hide all of the evidences.

 _Don't tell._

Stilling, Yami clenched his eyes in frustration, and utter desperation and self-loathe. The warning was enough to have him seal his mouth, unable to tell a single person about what was happening to him. He couldn't even share it with his partner, and that secret… it was eating him alive every time Yugi would ask him if anything was wrong. But of course he would lie, straight into the innocent boy's face, and the boy would believe him because he thought his Yami would never lie to him.

Yami looked down at the blood coloured water that swirled down into the drain as he scrubbed, and he couldn't help but let out a sigh. Lying to his other half was an act he considered unforgivable, but he had to bite his tongue that held the truth in order to keep Yugi safe and out of harm's way.

With matted blond bangs hanging infront of his face, he whipped them back lightly and sat up with the soaked, but cleaned, clothes and dumped them into the laundry basket. He stared at the basket forlornly for a short moment, his shoulders sagging from weariness before grabbing a cloth and beginning to clean the ground. Bits of blood had gotten on to the floor due to him passing out, therefore they needed to be cleaned.

Really, he hated it all. He hated the fear that crawled into his mind every time it happened to him, and he hated himself when he took the pain silently without making a peep. This wasn't like him at all. He should have gone out and tried to find who was behind the madness by himself. He should have tried to solve it as soon as possible without letting the problem get to him so much, without making it hurt those close to him. However, he was tied down. He couldn't do anything. He didn't know what to do, or even where to start. All his mind did from trying to find solutions was draw up blanks. Then again, he never did solve all the problems alone. He had the help of his partner, his friends. But now, he didn't have them.

Letting out another deep breath, he threw the rag into the sick and flipped the water on, watching as the rag absorbed the water and the stain of blood to rush down the drain. How much of his blood had gone down the drain like that? How much was soaked up and how much was left on his skin until he washed them away under the pressure of the hot water that he rained down on his body?

Hanging the rag under the sink after squeezing it out, Yami grabbed his towel that was behind the door, damped it with some fairly warm water, and began to wipe his body off in an attempt to clean up most of the blood. A lot of them had stopped bleeding, but all of them still continued to sting, hurting even more once the towel was patted against them. He had to get the first-aid box and take care of them as soon as possible. The faster he dealt with them, the faster they would heal and cause less of a problem.

Clenching his arm tightly as a cut on it continued to ooze with the red liquid, Yami stepped back into the dark room gingerly and made his way over to his dresser. He opened the top, right drawer, only to slam it close quickly and look around worriedly. He could have sworn it was there. He had left it there the last time- oh yes. Yami headed for the door. Yugi had the box. The boy had come to him a few days ago asking for it because he had apparently accidentally cut himself while chopping vegetables. Yugi had said it was nothing serious, but he just wanted to get a Band-Aid. It seems the boy had taken the entire box with him.

Sighing, Yami wrapped the towel around his shoulder and opened the door that led out into the silent, dark hallway. The big towel hid most of his upper-body from view, a good thing too so that no one would be able to see his wounds. He hissed though as his bare feet met with the cold, wooden floor of the hallway that creaked with each step he took. And, it wasn't long after did he start to feel chills running up his spine as he moved slowly towards Yugi's bedroom. Other than that, the Game Shop was dead silent excluding the soft snores coming from behind Grandpa's bedroom door.

It was nearing five in the morning. The sun had just risen, beginning to cast a bluish glow tinted with orange throughout the house which came through the windows. _"Perfect timing,"_ Yami thought. Everyone was about to be awake soon, and it was at this time he would go and wake Yugi up to start getting ready for school so that he wouldn't be late. Yugi wouldn't have any suspicions.

Stopping at Yugi's door, Yami took a deep breath to calm himself down so that the boy heard nothing _off_ about his voice before knocking gently, calling out his lighter half's name.

"Yugi?"

Hearing the silence on the other side of the door, Yami knocked again after a few seconds and called Yugi's name a bit louder.

"Yugi!?"

Furrowing his brow in confusion when Yugi didn't reply, Yami reached out to open the door, but just as his hand touched the doorknob, the door flung open to reveal Yugi standing there in its place, yawning as he rubbed his eye with one hand as the other held the door open.

"I'm awake," Yugi said tiredly, and a weary, drunken looking smile appeared on his face. "I'm up."

Yami nodded in acknowledgement and observed silently as Yugi turned around and headed towards the bathroom after grabbing his own towel that was hung on a hook on the wall. Yawning, Yami looked on as Yugi stepped past him while scratching his cheek, and Yami cringed when the light of the bathroom flooded the hallway as it was opened.

"I'll be down in a little while," Yugi told him, and with that Yami watched as the bathroom door closed, the bright light thankfully disappearing.

Yami continued to eye the locked door for a moment longer just to make sure Yugi wasn't going to come out again, and after a while of waiting and Yugi hadn't stepped out, the sound of the shower reassuring him that the boy didn't forget something, Yami quickly walked in and scanned his eyes across the bedroom for the first aid box. Spotting it on the nightstand next to the bed, he quickly grabbed the box and left, closing Yugi's room door with a soft thud.

Walking back to his own room, Yami quickly jumped into the shower after flinging the towel on the hook and dropping the kit on the toilet cover. He hissed as the water touched the cuts, but he bore through it until he was done, his mind drifting far away, avoiding the sight of the water that he stood in.

He didn't know how long he had stood in the shower for, but by the time he came out the sun had already risen. He moved fast, but careful as he wrapped the bandage around his chest and arms after applying some antiseptic, making sure to bandage the deeper wounds first, not only because they were still bleeding, but also because it seemed that most of the bandages were gone. How it finished so quickly, he would not know. There was no way Yugi could have used up all of it so quickly. Perhaps Grandpa?

He didn't have much time to think about all of that because he could already hear the clanks of pots and pans coming from the kitchen, a sign that Grandpa Motou was now awake. The time was really ticking now. Usually he'd be down there already, helping the man prepare the breakfast. If he took any more time than usual, they would begin to wonder what was keeping him so long and would no doubt come search for him. Hastily putting on a black t-shirt and tucking it into the black, boot-cut jeans, he threw on his blue, trademark jacket over it and made his way towards the kitchen, stopping only to grab some black socks and slipping them on before turning the corner to the living room and kitchen area.

"Now, where's Yami?" Yami heard the man mumble as he neared. "Breakfast is getting cold."

"I'm here," Yami announced, and he plastered a small smile on his face as he finally walked into the kitchen. His eyes fell on Yugi who was already at the table, slowly picking away at the pancakes that were before him with a glass of orange juice at his side. Grandpa was setting the table, and the old man casted a stern but playful expression towards Yami that clearly asked him, _"What took you so long, slow poke?"_

"Good morning, Yugi," Yami said, and he took a seat next to the boy.

"Morning," Yugi drawled in response, and that alone had Yami quirking an eyebrow. Yugi didn't look so well, nor was he looking so great for the past few weeks as well. Something was up, but what could it be? Thinking back as to what could have possibly changed in his Light's life had Yami clutching his answer tightly. How could he have missed it?

"The tests, are they hard? Don't worry, you'll get them. Believe in yourself," Yami encouraged, and he watched as Yugi looked up at him and nodded, giving him a warm smile.

"Ah, I know, Yami. Thanks," Yugi said, but Yami still continued to stare at him. It wasn't hard to notice the tensed form and stressed expression. But, it was understandable. It was nearing midterm, so there was a lot of work pending for Yugi to do, and a lot of tests to study and prepare for. It had been going on for weeks, so he was definitely tired of it all.

Turning his gaze away from Yugi once the second bite was taken, Yami stared at his own food that sat before him and immediately felt his stomach gurgling with sickness. He couldn't eat. That was all there was to it. The sight alone made him want to throw up whatever was left of his dinner the other night, and with all the stress he had been receiving lately, he just didn't find the time to eat, making his appetite shrink more and more as the days passed and making it harder on him if he took more than a few bites. However, if he didn't eat, Grandpa wouldn't spare him.

As the creak of a chair across the floor rang out through the kitchen, Yami snapped his eyes up at Yugi who had stood and grabbed his backpack that was hung over his chair.

"I'll be going now, okay. Going, Grandpa! Bye! Bye Yami!" and he rushed down the stairs, the bell in the Game Shop right above the door ringing, signaling that Yugi had left, but Grandpa called out to him anyways.

"You barely ate!" When no reply came, Grandpa shook his head and gave a sigh. "That boy is always late," he said, chuckling lightly as he munched on the last bit of his own breakfast, and Yami cracked an amused smile for the elderly man who then looked up to glance at him.

"Okay, you hurry and eat, Yami. I'll go open the shop," Grandpa said, and he stood up and prepared to leave as well. "You can do the dishes, alright? I'll be-"

"Wait!" Yami called out, and he stood to grab the man's attention as a thought appeared in his mind. Grandpa stopped and turned back to glance at him. "I can take care of the shop today," he said, and Grandpa looked at him with uncertainty, an eyebrow rising.

"Are you sure?"

At that, Yami nodded with vigor.

"I have nothing better to do today, so why not?"

"Okay…" Grandpa trailed off, putting his dishes in the sink. "If you're sure."

"I'm sure," Yami insisted, and he put his untouched plate and other wares that were on the table on to the counter next to the sink to be washed.

"Alright," Grandpa said, making up his mind, and he flashed Yami a bright smile. "Be sure to let me know if you need anything, okay?"

"I will."

As Grandpa twisted on the tap and began to wash away the few dishes, Yami turned around and left, making his way towards the stairs that led down to the shop. It was true. He actually did have nothing better to do all day, or, any day for that matter. He was unable to go to school with Yugi since getting legal papers that proved his existence was difficult, but it was alright. He enjoyed helping Yugi's Grandpa - who was now his Grandpa - in the shop. It took his mind off of everything that was happening. Plus, just having some alone time with the few customers that would trickle in during the day was enough time for him to rest, especially on the day after the attacks happen since the ache was too much to bear.

Stopping at the base of the stairs to put on his shoes, the blue one with the two belts and studs along with the small heel, he entered the shop and made his way to the front door to flip the OPEN sign around. Scanning the shop, making sure everything was in order, he reached behind the cash register and pulled out a clipboard that held the shop's checklist. He leaned against the glass counter, looking around the shop while one by one checking items off that they had in stock. It was how they kept track of what they had in the store and what else they needed to order or put on the shelves, just to stay as organized as possible. And, he was proud to say that he came up with it.

Making and agitated sound as he made a wrong move, the edge of the counter digging straight into one of the wounds on his back, he winced and scrunched his face in irritation, moving away from the counter to stand behind the desk. From that spot he looked at the list of what they had and didn't have out in the shop. It didn't take no more than fifteen minutes, and just as Yami set the clipboard down, he looked up to see the first customer of the day walk in.

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"Ah no, I'm sorry. We don't have those packs in today. We will have more tomorrow though." Yami watched as the young boy in front of him thought for a moment before nodding, his eyes running over his options before him.

"Okay, I'll just come back tomorrow then," the boy finally replied.

"Alright. See you then!"

Yami watched as the boy left before turning back to the doodle book that laid on his lap in front of him. With a pencil in his hand, he drew whatever came to mind, and sometimes his scribbles turned into monsters. Watapon and Kuriboh already decorated the page, and as of now they were followed by a half-drawn Marshmelon that he was working on at the moment.

It was almost lunch time and so far he only had three customers, none of which bought anything because they were so low on stocks. Yami glanced at the checklist, sighing as he saw the many packets of duel monster cards and games that were unavailable. Business to say the least had been slow today, the day he wanted to be distracted the most.

" _I bet Yugi's having an interesting day,"_ Yami thought to himself, and with his elbow on the counter and his head in his hand, he gazed through the glass, shop doors, watching as a woman with groceries in her hand walked quickly past the shop.

Yami closed his eyes, resting his head on the counter as he felt his head throb dully, his skin still having that burning sensation that made him aware of his ordeal. He blocked it all out and retreated into his mind, but as soon as his eyelids closed though, he saw himself in a pitch black area with shrill screams and blood oozing out from the nothingness around him. All he could do was stand and stare, unsure of where to run as the horrid smell and faceless, bloodied creatures that looked to be human crawled closer towards him, sharp swords stuck in their bodies, and their eyes lifeless and doll-like. He quickly forced his mind out of that dream, his eyes snapping open and a shiver running down his body. Those were the kind of things that haunted his dreams these days. No longer happy ones that he had before about living with Yugi and his Grandpa, having another shot at life. No, those dreams were replaced by nightmares.

Blinking tiredly, Yami stared out into nothing. He just couldn't understand what was going on. This person, whoever it was, was able to inflict pain upon a person without being seen at all. It definitely was magic, but one that he had never come across before in all his years. On the other hand though, wasn't all the people who had dangerous magic like that gone? He had taken care of them. That was his purpose when he was still a spirit of the millennium puzzle. However, what if there was a person completely new that was attacking him? Then, next question would be _why_. Why him?

Yami thought deeper, his brows furrowing together. Whoever was doing this had to be someone he knew or met with at one point. It couldn't be just a random attack because he didn't even physically exist until a couple of months ago. So who could possibly be after him specifically? Obviously that person had to know him somehow.

Yami shook the thought of that person being someone he held dear to his heart. His friends and his family would, could never do something like that. That was a silly question to even think about. Was it Kaiba? That made him want to laugh. It was too was ridiculous. The CEO refused to accept that magic exists even though he saw its work right before his very eyes. Then, Pegasus? Yami growled in frustration. He just didn't know. Who could have an ability like that? His eyes widened, a person dawning on his mind.

What if it was Bakura?!

The thief had returned with him, both being offered a chance to relive life the way they wanted. Although Bakura wanted to bring about destruction, he was wronged in the end. His family was practically destroyed, his entire village, so he had a right to be brought back to live how he wanted. And, besides, Ryou's other half didn't have magic anymore. Even he did not have any magical abilities anymore, so Bakura couldn't be it either.

Then again, what if it wasn't magic at all?

Dropping his head, exasperated, Yami jumped as he suddenly heard the doorbell tingle and footsteps approaching him at the counter. Looking up, his eyes widened at who he saw for a split second before relaxing, understanding as to why the person had come for. One thing is for sure though; they didn't come to shop for games.

"Hello, Mokuba."

The raven haired, baby brother of the infamous Seto Kaiba stood before him with a bodyguard not too far behind. For someone small and young, he held a great amount of authority even though his words were cheerful like his personality, the opposite of what his older brother was like.

"Hey, Yami!" Mokuba exclaimed happily, and his tone fell a bit serious, businesslike. "My big brother sent me to give you a message, and I quote, _"that you will be a fool to dare decline"."_

Yami rolled his eyes, knowing exactly what the message was about. "Does he wish to duel? Again?" Yami asked, and he gave a knowing look. At that, Mokuba broke out into a toothy grin.

"You bet! And he wants you there right now."

Now at that, Yami's eyes widened.

"Now?!" he exclaimed, and he paused for a bit. He grazed his bandaged arm that stung with each touch. He was in no condition to duel now, but… He focused back on Mokuba who was waiting impatiently for an answer, and quickly he pushed those thoughts aside.

"Sorry, but can you tell him that I can't duel today? As much as I would _love_ to take up his offer, I just can't. I'm taking care of the shop today."

Mokuba's eyes widened and he was about to say something to hopefully get him to agree when another voice beat him to it.

"Don't worry about the shop, my boy. I will take care of it," Grandpa said, and Yami turned slightly to watch the man walk into the shop. Grandpa stopped at the counter and gave him a grin and looked at Mokuba who was looking quite relieved. "You should go. I haven't seen you go outside all week. Some fresh air and a good duel will do you some good instead of being cooped up all day with an old man like me," Grandpa continued, and Yami hesitated, his eyes going back and forth between Mokuba and Grandpa.

"Are you sure? I mean, I did promise that I would..."

"I told you! It's fine. I may be old, but I still got a lot of energy!" Grandpa exclaimed cheerily, and he grabbed Yami's arm, the movement causing pain to rip up Yami's skin, and nudged him towards the front door.

Stiffening his teeth from the action, Yami smiled, giving in, not knowing what else he could possibly say to get him out of going to the duel.

"Alright, I'll go-"

"Let's move it then!" Mokuba shouted, and without even waiting a second longer the boy was out the door. Slowly, Yami grabbed his thick sweater off the coat rack and begrudgingly ran upstairs to snatch his duel disk and deck. He had no choice now.

Saying a quick goodbye to Grandpa, he stepped outside and got into the limo that was parked outside, the young Kaiba slamming the door shut as soon as he entered. Before he knew it they were zooming off towards Kaiba Corporation without wasting even a second, and while Mokuba called Kaiba to tell him that they were on their way, Yami watched the world outside through the window in a trance.

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 **There you go. The end of chapter two. I do hope you all like it and that the story gave you a bit more insight as to what is going on. One thing, I felt as if it was a tad bit, repetitive. Repeating things is a major problem of mind, and it is the thing that misses my view sometimes when I edit. I edited this a lot, so please tell me what you think. Alright? :3**

 **Thank you for reading and reviewing to my story. It really does mean a lot, and constructive criticism is welcomed like a Queen/King.**

 **Bye~**


	3. Chapter 3

**This story took a while to get back on track. Very sorry about that. But, I'm glad to get back on its tail and get it done! :D Thank you all for reading and reviewing for the previous chapters. It really does mean a lot to me to see your support that hopefully, after such a long time, is still there. Moving on.**

 **REVIEW~**

 **i – Thank you for the wonderful constructive criticism, as always! But as of now, I haven't gotten around to fixing chapter two yet. That's because I want to make a comparison between what I did last chapter, and what I've done for this chapter, so when I start editing the next chapters, I will know what it is that I'm looking for. So thank you, and for sure you will get to reread chapter two. :)**

 **Enjoy everyone!**

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Voodoo Doll

Chapter 3

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"Yami, it's your move!" Kaiba suddenly shouted, and at the loud voice Yami pulled his thoughts away from the numbness that was starting to take over his skin to look up at the brunet who was staring at him in agitation, hands clenched at his sides as he held his duel disk before him, ready to play. The duel disk clamped tightly around his own arm however was doing nothing but causing him pain, and he couldn't tell if Kaiba noticed or not, but he was shaking. Trembling with every movement from the draw of his card to placing it on the field, then suffering from Kaiba's holographic attacks that seemed so real, still causing him to brace himself.

"Right, my move," and trying to bring out his confidence with his voice, Yami pulled a card, no longer with the same bravado as usual. He glanced at the card and then at the ones in his hand before playing, sighing softly to himself. "I'll set one card in defense mode. That's all for now," he said, and unable to keep his arm up any longer, he let them both drop down beside him, a pose he had never taken before. It made him look weak, even more so with the way Kaiba was grinning at him.

"Is that all you've got?" Kaiba smirked. "You better step it up. As of now I'll set two facedown cards of my own, and then summon this!" and with little interest, Yami watched as Kaiba summoned another monster before also ending his turn. The card Kaiba played was one he had never seen the other use before, and he was having a hard time focusing on what Kaiba was explaining about it, so he had no idea what he was up against at the end. And to make things even more complicated for him, the two facedown cards on Kaiba's side of the field were another issue. What were they? Trap cards? Magic cards? Or both?

Wiping away the sweat that covered his forehead, anxiously Yami took a look at his own hand, Kaiba's loud voice nothing more than an ineligible sound at the back of his mind. His dueling skills has been decreasing rapidly the more he dueled with Kaiba ever since the attacks started, and if this kept up, he would most certainly lose his title to the CEO. That would definitely anger Kaiba because it would be clear that his victory was far too easy. Yami had managed so far to keep his head long enough on the game instead of the gore on his body to win, but for how much longer?

Right now, there were already two monsters summoned on to the field in attack mode by Kaiba, and with only one monster on his field and no strategy, he had to quickly find a way to get those life-points down a notch instead of going on the offensive each turn. He would never last long if that continued, and at this point, Yami had no idea as to how he was going to make it through, especially with the big gap between their life-points. Not even his faith in the heart of the cards was with him.

"Make your move already!" Kaiba yelled, again, and once more Yami was brought back to the duel. Kaiba was vivid, clearly disconcerted due to his long pauses. "Stop daydreaming and duel! What is wrong with you?"

"Don't worry about me, Kaiba. I'll play," Yami said sternly, and glaring back into those blue eyes, Yami bit his tongue and drew, only to steel his face to hide the disappointment when he pulled none other than monster reborn. It was a good card, one that came to his rescue many times before, but right now, there was no use for it. He had no good cards in his graveyard to bring back, so he couldn't waste it. No.

Sliding the card into his hand, he pulled out another and placed it facedown. Yet again, he had no choice but to defend his life-points.

"I end my turn," he said stiffly, and closing his eyes briefly, he tried to block out the look of mockery that appeared on Kaiba's face, ignoring the scoff.

"And here I thought you were a worthy rival. What a joke. You went on luck and _Heart of the Cards_ to win, now look at yourself!" Kaiba shouted, and he smirked. "I told you, Yami, dumb luck will only get you so far. It's your hard work and skill that makes you a winner, and right now, it's clear to me that you've lost your touch!" He drew. "You only get worse and worse every time we battle. Can't you do any better than that?"

Hearing the insults thrown his way, all Yami could do was listen to bits and pieces of sentences that made it passed the sound of blood rushing through his head, and his heart hammering away in his chest like drums. His body was slowly turning cold, and that sinking feeling in his gut reappeared like a horrible dream. Flatly he ignored the jabs Kaiba was throwing at him, and as Yami gazed at him, his vision started to swim. With horror he stiffened as he felt a slow cut making its way across his back before carving its was down his stomach.

It felt as if all of the blood in his body had somehow disappeared, because suddenly he was ice cold.

What was happening? Why was it happening again so soon?! Pale as a sheet, Yami's mind went blank and his body just froze. Alarm bells were ringing in his head, and he gasped slightly as he felt a cut drag and cross with one of the previous cuts under the bandages. He closed his eyes, trying to numb the pain, but it went on, deeper and faster, and already he could feel soaked spots on his clothes, under his sweater. He couldn't stay here.

"Where are you going?!" Kaiba shouted, but Yami just continued to step back, his knees shaking as cuts made their way to his legs, the thin slices burning him. He had to get home, now. He wouldn't be able to mask the pain for long, especially with Kaiba staring at him.

"I-I'm leaving. I'm done," Yami managed to say, and as he glanced at Kaiba's face that held shock but quickly grew into anger, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly deeply. He knew that the duelist wasn't going to let him go so easy.

"Are you forfeiting the duel?!" Kaiba yelled after him, but Yami just walked faster, his left arm shaking as cuts were created under the constricting contraption. All he managed to do was nod, yet it seemed that Kaiba didn't want that because Yami found himself being blocked from leaving by two, bulky looking guards.

"Why would you just hand over your title to me?! You are not forfeiting. I refuse to win like this," Kaiba seethed, and frustrated, Yami turned towards him.

"Then it's paused for now. We'll continue some other time, not now," he said through his teeth, and his hands clenched and insides shook when Kaiba refused to back down.

"Why not now? And, you can't just resume a duel. It has to go on! So come back here and duel me!"

A hand went to Yami's face to hide the anguish, and he clenched his teeth with all his might so that he wouldn't make a sound. What was he to do now? Kaiba wasn't going to let him leave and he was in no condition to duel. Pushing his hair back, Yami's eyes went back to Kaiba and he shook his head once more.

"Kaiba, I said not now. Tell them to move out of my way," he shouted, but Kaiba didn't say anything. The holograms of the monsters were still in place, and seeing a growing anger in Kaiba's eyes, Yami saw no other way out. He would have to duel, whether he lost or won before he could vanish to a place where no one could see him to deal with it.

"There is no reason for you to leave this duel, unless you are a coward," Kaiba hissed, and trembling from standing upright for so long, Yami started to feel the blood dripping down his body, and down his arms. Slowly he walked back to his spot on the playing field, and as Kaiba drew and played, Yami suddenly found himself being attacked by the other. Both of his defenses were wiped out, and before he knew it he was being hit with a blinding light.

He didn't know what was it that made his skin go ablaze. Was it the shock, or was it the heat the machines surrounding them gave off? He couldn't tell, but all that happened after that attack died down was the momentarily stunned expression, and his knees threatened to buckle. All of those cuts ached, his body was screaming, and still he struggled to hold it all in. It didn't last, and on his hands and knees he fell. Now that he was on the ground, all he wanted to do was stay there and just shrivel up, screaming until his lungs stopped.

"Get up," Kaiba commanded, and at the brutal tone, Yami stayed put. There was no way he could move so soon, but Kaiba was persistent. "Get up and duel me, Yami," he said once more, and helplessly Yami forced his body to stand. As soon as he got on to his feet though, instantly his head spun again and the cards from his already loosened hands fluttered to the floor.

"Kaiba, that's enough!" he yelled, and he clenched his teeth when his voice cracked from the pain. His hand went up to hold his chest, and under it he could feel his heart racing. "I can't duel you right now. It will have to wait," he stated, and seeing that the two guards still didn't move, Yami didn't wait around to see what would happen.

Marching, pushing back the pain, he lifted his duel disk and used it as a shield to barrel through the guards if needed. When they moved infront of him, it was then when Yami's nose flared, whether from anger or pain he couldn't care, and grabbed one of their dark shirts. Yami pulled as hard as he could and pushed that one to the side, quickly dodging the other as he tried to grab him. Turning around briefly and seeing their eyes immediately locking on him, Yami took off, running down the elegant halls of the Kaiba mansion.

Half running and stumbling, he collapsed once more before picking himself up again with the help of the walls. He could feel hot tears on his face as he ran down the stairs. And as he looked at the disk, it was then did he realize that all of his cards had fallen out, scattered behind him. He hadn't taken it out of the socket, but the pain was too unbearable to turn back for them now. He could hear Kaiba shouting after him, and after struggling for so long to get the heavy thing off of his wounds, he fell on to the door but grabbed himself just in time as a sharp, and last cut, more like a stab, went into his shin. The duel disk was gone, no longer on him, and holding his sore arm he ran without looking back.

With the help of an invisible force and or strong drive and willpower, somehow Yami was able to make it back to the Game Shop in one piece. His body was already going numb from the wind, which helped a bit, but as soon as he stopped before the door and slowly stepped in, the burns started up again as the adrenaline died down. Heaving, he clenched his wrists to stop the pain somehow, only to look up when Grandpa called out to him from behind the counter.

"Yami, you're back! How was the duel?" he heard Grandpa saying from somewhere at the back of his mind, but feeling nauseous he couldn't remember what his reply was, and he just went straight for the steps and directly to his room. He closed the door behind him.

Dragging his feet across the wood, Yami stopped at the side of the bed and allowed himself to gently lie down. Shivering he curled up on himself, not moving or speaking. Ra… it hurt so much, but all he could do was bite his lip and keep his sobs down, his body bruised more than before. He had no time to heal, and now suddenly, whoever it was that was torturing him this way had changed their times. And, feeling a stiff hand, Yami glanced at it only to see a bright spot of now drying blood even though his skin was still wet, still leaking the red liquid. Closing his palm, he pulled the hand closer to his chest and out of sight. How in the world was he going to fix this? It was starting to become too much.

Lying there so still had eased the stings quite a bit, and soon he found himself drifting in and out of sleep, until the shrill ring of the phone out in the living room shot his eyes wide open again.

" _Grandpa will answer the phone, and for sure he'll come in here to check on me,"_ Yami thought frantically, and as the forth ring was heard, the faint sound of Grandpa's voice reaching his ears, Yami pushed himself up, gulped deeply, and started to take off all of the layers. As he started to pull out his left arm from the left side, he was nervous to see that it was soaked with blood. Looking at the sleeve, that too was soaked, and so without hesitating he dumped them into a basket and hid them there for now.

 _Don't tell._

He couldn't risk anyone finding out.

Hopefully Kaiba wasn't suspecting anything either after what happened. He would be livid, for sure, but Yami prayed that Kaiba wouldn't voice any concerns, nor talk to the others about it. He hoped.

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 **And there we have it. The end of the chapter. For sure there are some repeats, but I tried my best to get rid of as much as I could. I hope it wasn't too overdone, and that the entire scene was alright because I'm starting to feel as if I made Yami too much of a weakling! I was considering the situation he was in, and I was wondering what would happen to a person going through that. So, I don't know. I'm so confused. I hope it was good though.**

 **Thank you all, you know, for reading. Please leave a wonderful review, and I will try my best to respond and thank you personally.**

 **Bye~**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey everyone! How've you been…? I'm sorry! I was away for a very long time. I didn't even realize how long I had put this story off for. And, to make it worse, I had most of it written a long time ago! I'm so terrible. Really Sorry. I'm already halfway through the next, so I will try to update again soon.**

 **REVIEWS~**

 **i – I'm glad to see that I'm going back on to the right track that I was on. I corrected chapter 2, finally, and chapter 3. Okay, so for chapter 3. What you said about Yami's character, him not being as soft and instead getting angry, made complete sense to me! I actually liked that better. It kept him more in character, and that's what I want. Chapter 2… I've edited it quite a bit a while ago, but after looking back at it now, and continuing to edit, I don't remember what I changed or what still needs to be changed… Ahh. I hope that it's fine. It's still quite a large chapter though. I tried knocking it down, and it didn't go so well. xP As always, thank you so much for your words and your advices. Seriously, you're a life saver! I can't thank you enough. :D**

 **Glass Serpent – Thank you! I'm glad you liked the chapter. And of course. The story should be picking up a bit more. :)**

 **Dina – Oh my goodness indeed.**

 **I Love Dick Grayson – I will write more! Of course I will! I'm glad that you're enjoying the story. :D**

 **Lost To Me – Yay! I'm glad! And as you can see, here is the next chapter. I will try my best to update more often a month than once every month and a half. Promise!**

 **Enjoy!**

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Voodoo Doll

Chapter 4

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"Yami, you're back! How was the duel?" Grandpa said, and his mouth widened into a smile as he slid the glass door of the display case closed before glancing up towards Yami. However, he received no response. He looked on as Yami hurriedly walked right past him and up the stairs as quickly as he could instead. Grandpa's brow furrowed with confusion. He was left frowning unsurely, staring at the swinging door that was left in the older boy's wake.

 _That was odd._

During the many months he had known the former Pharaoh, especially after he was no longer merged with Yugi, he learned that when it came to expressing himself, Yami tended to be more collected and strongly held on to the reigns of his emotions. He never allowed his feelings to get the best of him less he worried others. So, to see a spark of fear on Yami's face, the desperation, his control broken, something was definitely wrong.

As concern started to swell within him, Grandpa stood and dropped the store keys into one of the pockets of his green apron. He made his way out from behind the counter and quickly walked up to the store door and flipped the CLOSED sign around. That was it. He had to speak with Yami immediately. Opening the door that led him up to their living quarters, he paused on one of the squeaky steps after hearing the door to Yami's room slam shut. That only intensified his worries.

He took some time reaching the top, but as soon as he did, he gazed down the hall across the living room to see Yami's firmly closed door. And just as he started to walk towards it, he stopped at the shrill ring of the phone. The sound resonated throughout the home loudly, and he knew that it would be hard to ignore when speaking to Yami. He turned his head towards the landline in the kitchen, allowing a scowl to make its way on to his face. He had no choice now. He would have to answer the darn thing.

Sighing, Grandpa walked into the kitchen hurriedly and picked up the black receiver from its socket.

"Hello, Game Shop, how may I help you?" he answered stiffly. If it was a telemarketer, he would be beyond agitated. They always called him during this time of the day, at the worse times too. However, the call was anything but a waste of time.

 _"Hi, Mr. Motou? This is Domino High. Yugi Motou has left class right after lunch today. His friends say that he may be sick. Can you confirm this please? Is he home right now?"_

The woman's words on the other side of the line froze Grandpa to the core. _Yugi? Sick? Not in school?!_ With horror, Grandpa gripped the phone tightly and his head emptied itself of all thoughts. His heart started to pound rapidly in his chest, and immediately he became fidgety.

"No," he whispered in shock, eyes wide and searching as he stared intently out the window that gave him clear view of the street. "No, he's not home yet," and he heard the woman hum in understanding on the other end.

" _Alright. Did Yugi contact you at all? Did he say where he could have gone?"_ the woman went on, and Grandpa found himself shaking his head, eyes dropping to the counter.

"No, no, no. Yugi, Yugi never leaves school without informing anyone. That's not like him at all. I know my Grandson, he would never do that. And, even if he did, he would have contacted me, but he didn't." As he spoke, his voice rose higher with fear and disbelief. Where was Yugi? Was the boy really sick? Was he in trouble? All of these questions and more ran through his head, none of which put him at ease. Why couldn't his grandson have a rest already? He had saved the world several times. What more would he have to endure?

" _Okay, I understand, Sir. He must be somewhere. He left school on his own accord and if what you say is true, he must be nearby. He may show up later. Please do give us a call when he does, and we will do the same on our end if he returns to the school,"_ she explained, and this time Grandpa nodded before snapping out of the action to speak.

"Yes, yes, I understand. I will definitely let you know," he said, and he could hear the tremor in his voice. Saying a quick goodbye, he took a deep breath and put the phone down with a click.

He was tired of it all. He was sick and tired of the fear that coursed through him daily when his grandson was away battling insane, evil beings and monsters to save humanity. He had Yami and his friends by his side, but still. It still made him worry until he was sick, fear stricken when he heard things like his son's plane crashing, or when his soul was taken… it was too much. And, just when he thought it was over, it seems that fate had more in store.

Trembling, he took a deep breath. He was too old to deal with this kind of stress. He couldn't, and now-

"Yami?!" he called out desperately, and shoving the negative thoughts to the back of his mind, he trekked hurriedly across the upstairs floor and towards Yami's room. Stopping, he knocked, all of his previous concerns forgotten.

"Yami?" he said again, and waiting impatiently for a short moment, he stepped back when the boy opened the door, one hand still on the doorknob and the other pulling down the end of the black shirt he was putting on.

"Grandpa, what's wrong?" Yami asked him, and unable to hold it back any longer, Grandpa pushed his hair back and looked at Yami who was gazing at him with worry.

"Yugi's missing."

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His body suddenly felt even colder.

"What do you mean Yugi's missing?" Yami exclaimed, and his heart shot up to his throat. He stared at Grandpa who had his face in his hand, massaging his temple with his index finger and thumb before finally responding. The man was close to tears, and from the quick breaths he was taking, Yami stepped out and ushered him gently towards the couch to sit down.

"What happened, Grandpa?" he asked, softer this time, and he received a response. The tone in the old man's voice though had him reaching for the water jug on the coffee table and pouring some out.

"The school just called me and said that Yugi wasn't in school. They said that he got up and left right after lunch time and no one knows where he is. Lunch was over an hour ago and he's not home yet so where could he have gone?!"

Giving the glass to Grandpa, Yami thought deeply and watched as he gulped it all down.

Even though his mind was trying to make sense of the situation and the possible whereabouts of Yugi, Yami could still feel his hands trembling from their spot on the elder man's back as he took a hesitant seat next to him on the blue couch. His skin was irritating him, burning him to the point where only the feeling of coldness could stop the feeling. However, he clenched his teeth and pushed it aside, concentrating on Grandpa who was on the verge of worrying himself sick.

"Grandpa, calm down. Don't worry so much. I'm sure Yugi might be fine," he said, trying his best to reassure the man, and Grandpa nodded, lifting his eyes to stare at the blank TV screen.

"I'll try calling him just to be sure," Yami continued, and he quickly got up and made his way into his room to grab the little cell that he had thrown on to the side table when he had ran up earlier before returning.

With every movement stirring up a new set of pain, Yami had no other choice but to close his eyes for a split second when his head started to spin. That only caused him to start seeing stars behind his eyelids, and so quickly he reopened them, trying to refocus himself. The ringing in his ears on the other hand went on to resonate throughout his mind, but he took a breath and returned to the living area to dial one of the few phone numbers he had memorized.

Putting the cell to his ear, he glanced at Grandpa to see the man watching him with worry and anticipation. One ring, two rings, five rings later… the sound of Yugi's voicemail was heard. He kept on calling, biting his lip and silently praying for someone, anyone, to answer. He gritted his teeth and clenched the phone tightly when there was still no reply, and frustrated due to his helplessness, his arm dropped to his side.

"What happened?" Grandpa asked, and looking painfully at him, Yami thought deeply as the man stood and rushed towards him, clasping his upper arm tightly. Pain shot up his arm.

"I can't reach his phone," he admitted through half clenched teeth, and once more he started to dial when another option came to mind. "I'll try to call Joey. Surely he must know something," he said.

Grandpa was starting to look pale, and he needed to ease his worries soon. The pained look was only increasing, and with his age, he couldn't get him worrying so needlessly like this.

"Yes, try calling Joseph, Yami. I think they have the same class after lunch. Ryou too, so surely one of them must know something."

Putting the phone to his ear yet again, Yami listened to the ringing, only for that too to eventually end and Joey's humorous voicemail to reach his ears. Sighing in dismay, he shook his head and dropped the phone on to the couch.

"Joey's not answering either," he said, and he looked into Grandpa's eyes that were wide with despair. "They may still be in class…"

"Yami, then where could he be?" Grandpa exclaimed suddenly, and he too started to pace fretfully. "Try calling Tea, Tristan, Kaiba even! Someone should know something, right?" Grandpa continued to shake his head. "Something must have happened. He would never worry us like this. It's not like him."

"I know, Grandpa. I know," Yami said, and glancing at the steps, he exhaled deeply.

Yugi's behavior was all too strange for them to think that there was nothing to worry about. And, if something had happened, his partner would have called. However, as much as he tried to reason with himself the Yugi might be okay and just hadn't had the time to contact them, he couldn't stop the sinking feeling in his gut. Grandpa was right. It wasn't like Yugi at all, and he of all should know that. Perhaps he should go look for Yugi himself. No, that was what he was going to do.

"I'll go look for him," he said, and he stood up with determination. "He has to be around somewhere."

Picking up his shoes and grabbing another sweater from his room before Grandpa could object, he gulped deeply and took a few breaths before walking back through the living room and towards the stairs. Dread was starting to build within him, and he would have no peace unless his partner was back home safe and sound.

"Are you sure, Yami? You alone searching for him?"

"I'll be fine."

Just as he slipped his arms through the sleeves and was about to take his first step down as Grandpa stared at him worriedly, he froze when loud knocking was heard against the shop's door. He turned to Grandpa with a raised eyebrow, but the man just returned the stare, he too unaware of what, or who, could possibly be making such a racket.

"Who the…" Yami trailed off, only to widen his eyes and run down the stairs as fast as he could, praying that it was Yugi. When he swung the door open to enter the store though, he was disappointed, but also relieved, so see his friends standing outside, all of them looking anxious.

Knocking on the door once more, Yami saw that it was Joey who was seemingly attempting to break the glass, but the blond stopped upon seeing him enter the shop. Quickly he unlocked the door and the four of them piled in. They were out of breath. It seemed that they ran all the way to the Game Shop.

"Yami, did Yugi come here?!" Joey yelled, and he grabbed on to Yami's shoulder as soon as he stepped in.

Yami flinched slightly, but shook his head furiously.

"No, he's not here. I was just about to go look for him. I tried calling you but you didn't answer," he explained, and he watched as Joey shook his head.

"Sorry, Yams. My battery's dead. But… aw man. I was hoping he was here!"

"Well if he's not here, then where could he be?" Tea asked worriedly, and Yami turned his gaze towards her. She was staring at the floor, arms clasped around her.

"So, you found out too, Yami?" Tristan asked quietly, and from the corner of his eyes he saw Grandpa entering the shop as well.

"Grandpa answered a call from the school. They notified us that Yugi left class midway." He frowned and looked back and forth between Ryou and Joey. "Just what had happened?"

"I can answer that," Joey said, and he turned towards Ryou for support.

"We were in the middle of a math test when he just upped and ran off. He didn't even say a word to us," Ryou explained, and his brown eyes softened. "He seemed fine when he entered class though. We spoke well during Lunch, actually."

"Yeah. We didn't notice that he was ill or anything. I just don't understand what could have happened. I was so worried… As soon as that class was over we knew we had to find him," Joey finished.

"But, if he was sick, he would have returned home. Clearly he hasn't. So what now? Where could he be?" Tea said, and her voice rose with unease. Yami sighed, confusion filling his mind when even they didn't shed too much light on the boy's whereabouts. He rubbed his forehead and glanced through the shop window, his insides tumbling as the horrible feeling started to make a place in his stomach.

"We should all go out and look for him," Tristan said, and as he heard their sounds of approval, closing his eyes briefly, Yami reopened them only to shout in surprise when a certain figure came into view.

"Yugi?!" he cried, and everyone stopped talking just in time to see the boy burst in through the door. He was disheveled looking, his eyes were distant, and the tear tracks on his face only caused Yami's heart to still within him, paralyzing him.

"Yugi?"

"Yugi, what happened?" the others called, and instinctively Yami reached an arm out to hold him. However, after seeing them all before him, Yugi's eyes shot open with horror instead. One of the hands he had wrapped around his torso quickly went to hide his face, and he dashed up the stairs, ignoring the calls that came behind him.

All Yami was left holding was air as he stared at Yugi's retreating back. And as he did, he noticed something that had dread rushing through and biting his body like frost.

A single trail of blood was on the boy's neck, and like a paint stroke, it disappeared under his clothes.

* * *

 **That brings us to the end of the chapter! I hope it was fine. It seemed too small for me, so I tried to add in as much details and smooth it out as much as I could. My concern is that I may have made Grandpa a bit too frightened by Yugi's disappearance. I added in his fears he had when Yugi was away to justify… but I hope it wasn't… cheesy. Heh. And oh! As for Grandpa forgetting about Yami… I know. Weird for him to forget, but that will be brought up again. It is not forgotten. Other than the regular repeats… I hope that it's okay.**

 **I may update again sometime next week. However, if I get a lot of love, I'll update this weekend. Promise! xD**

 **I hope you all liked this chapter. Please review and share the love, and as always I thank you all many times for reading. :)**

 **Constructive criticism is forever welcomed.**

 **Bye~**


	5. Chapter 5

**Oh my GOD. Almost 2 years without an update! Ahh, I feel horrible. So very horrible. I was reading through the chapters and I can't believe I said that this story was going to be a breeze. One where updates won't take forever. I'm a liar. A horrible, terrible person. I'm so sorry. I have no excuses.**

 **i – Thank you so much! I'm glad that I was able to fix the previous chapters, making them even more stunning to read. It makes my heart sigh comfortably. Let's hope I can continue to get the chapters right. As always, I've took your thoughts into account. I did already have some future plans and twists that will happen, but I realised that Yugi and the Pharaoh's plight were in fact too similar. I will switch it up a bit and try my best to create suspense and surprises. (It's part of the reason why the delay was so long) (I still didn't get anywhere BTW)**

 **Enjoy everyone~!**

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Voodoo Doll

Chapter 5

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 **With legs crossed and a small grin dancing on her lips, sharp eyes trailed over the newspapers and magazines before her, metal scissors held loosely in her grasp. Her red, long nails tapped the wooden desk repeatedly, and with an amused hum, she leaned forward and turned the thin page, a sparkle of glee in her eyes.**

" **Ahh."**

 **With a little chuckle she brought the scissors back to work, clipping the last picture from the pile of magazines scattered upon the desk. Snip, snip, the scissors went, before there was a clang. The scissors were tossed on to the desk, and with a big wave of her arm across the wood, she threw all of the magazines to the ground. The desk now cleared, she spread the clippings before her in rows.**

 **She gazed upon them, fingers entwined underneath her chin. However, the longer she looked at the several pictures, the clearer a strange fact was brought to her attention. She froze with realisation. Her eyes widened and her mouth twisted into a scowl. And with a sharp hiss she stood, the swivel chair crashing against the wall. She slammed her hands down on the desk out of disbelief.**

 **A growl reverberated throughout the grey, cold, and darkened room.**

" **What is this," she seethed, and her nails scraped the desk as she made fists, analyzing the pictures. His pose, his eyes, his hair… "Who is this?!" she shrieked to herself, and she clutched two pictures that were so alike, but not completely, and brought them to her face.**

 **Her eyes weren't deceiving her.**

" **Different," she murmured, and in a split second, a crazed smile cracked on her face. "He's different!"**

 **Hysterical laughter rose and echoed throughout the room, but not for long. It died quickly as her newfound information sunk in, and as her thoughts began to form around her next steps on how to fix it. She looked at the pictures again, and crumpled them, the anger and frustration gone. It was replaced with a sickening sort of glee.**

" **Just who are you, Yugi? Which one is the real you?"**

* * *

Dashing up the stairs as fast as he could with the others close behind him, Yami could feel his heart making a spot for itself in his throat. His chest clenched tightly as he swerved around the furniture, and in moments he reached the hallway and grabbed the doorknob of Yugi's room door. He turned, only to resort himself to banging desperately on the door when it didn't budge.

"Yugi! Please, open up. What happened?" he called, and he pressed his cold fingers against the dark wood that separated him from his other half. His head dropped against the door. He was trembling feverishly, and like ropes, the horrible thoughts tied up and took control of his entire being along with all of his thoughts.

It couldn't be real. It was just a coincidence that Yugi got a strikingly similar wound like he had. Yugi was not going through the same thing as he was. He couldn't! Yet, at the back of his mind, Yami could feel the lingering sensation of the cut on his own neck, hidden by his collar. It was throbbing as if reminding him that it was there.

To make his despair even worse, moments he had barely paid attention to about his lighter half made their presence known. Those memories mockingly reminded him of the odd silence, the lack of touch on the boy's side, the distance Yugi himself had created between them. None that he had thought much of.

Yami's hands clenched themselves into fists with self-hatred and rage. How could he be so blind?

"Yugs, please. We want to help you," Joey said behind him, and he could hear the blond breathing heavily.

"You're scaring us, Yugi. What's wrong?" and hearing Tea's voice on the verge of tears brought him back to reality.

His eyes reopened and he focused them on the door as if willing it with his mind to open. He was truly helpless. More so when he himself struggled to stand upright, fighting against his body that was as heavy as lead. Aches were overpowering him. A headache had begun to form and he immediately knew it was because he hadn't taken the time to recuperate.

So many things were going wrong at the moment. If he crumpled now it would add more problems on top of the one they were currently in. One at a time, Yami told himself. Yugi came first. He had to stay strong for his light's sake.

"Yugi, please come out. We're worried sick. You gotta talk to us. If someone has done something to you just tell us. You don't have to be afraid," Tristan called for himself, and Yami watched from the corner of his eye as the brunet knocked gently on the door.

"Yami, what's wrong with him," Grandpa whispered, and giving the man a glance, Yami saw the weariness on the old man's face. Yami turned to the door and took a deep breath.

"Yugi, please, speak to me," he pleaded, his voice as soft as it could be while he tapped lightly.

He heard no answer, and with regret he turned to the others to see their crestfallen faces. Tristan and Joey were looking at each other helplessly, Tea was biting her nails out of anxiousness, and Ryou was standing at the back, watching everything that unfolded with his arms crossed and worry lacing his face.

Finally, a faint click.

That was all it took to light up their faces. In a blink eyes were turned towards the handle that twisted slowly, and they watched with bated breaths as the door creaked open.

Yugi stood in its place, eerily quiet. The boy's face was as hollow as death itself.

"Yugi!" Joey yelled, and the blond teen ran forward. "What happened to you? You scared us to death back there," and the others stepped up to voice their own worries.

"What's wrong, Yugi?" Ryou asked softly, and at that Yami watched as Yugi returned Ryou's concerned look with a little smile.

There was something off about that too, Yami couldn't help but think. Yugi's smile, for the first time, was insincere.

"Yugi, is there anything wrong? Did something happen at school?" Grandpa asked, and he walked up to the boy and put a hand to his shoulder. When the older man did, it was at that moment when Yami saw the reaction.

Yugi flinched.

Triggered by the sight, Yami stood there and studied Yugi's face as hard as he could - while also trying to breathe steadily - as he searched for a trace of anything that could show him Yugi's true emotions. And eventually, he found it. He saw the lost look, the pain, and the overwhelming amount of hopelessness soaked in the purple eyes… and that only made the weight in his chest worse.

"I'm sorry, guys. Sorry, Gramps. I didn't mean to worry you so much. I was just feeling really sick, so I took off in a rush," Yugi started to say, and the smile he managed to give disappeared as he trailed off uncertainly, his eyes falling to the ground.

Unable to stay silent for much longer, especially after hearing such a pitiful lie from a hoarse throat, Yami stepped forward slowly. Yugi's eyes flew up to meet his gaze which had hardened from frustration.

"Are you sure that's all?" Yami asked, and locked his eyes on those purple irises that swarmed with mix emotions, fighting like snakes to settle on one. Neither of their stares dared to break.

"Yugi, your silence is killing me. I can feel it, something is wrong. There's more to what you're letting on," Tea said, and with a hand on her heart she stepped forward, eyes red. "What are you hiding from us? We're your friends. We can help you. You know that."

"She's right, Yugs," Joey said, crossing his arms and giving Yugi his 'no nonsense' look. "You're hiding something."

Yugi started to take steps back as everyone got closer. A hand went to his head, and Yami could see the struggle it took for Yugi to keep the façade up.

"Really, it's fine. Nothing's wrong," Yugi still insisted. "I'm just feeling awful right now. I need to lie down. I'm sorry, guys. I… I think… I think it would be best if you just gave me some time alone to rest. Trust me though, everything's okay."

"Are you sure?" Tristan asked.

"Well, he does look a little pale," Joey eventually murmured.

Yami eyed them carefully. His mind unable to process the scene that was playing out before him. Yugi was lying. Couldn't they see that?

"Alright, my boy. Just, have some rest and take some medicine," Grandpa said, and he rested a hand on Yugi's shoulder, squeezing gently. "I'll go bring some tea and medicine, and maybe we can take a trip to the Doctor to make sure everything's okay. You stay here and rest up, alright?"

Even though the others hummed in agreement, Yami noticed that their expressions remained wary. They proceeded to make their way back to the living room anyways, but kept tossing glances back at Yugi.

"If that's all it is, then try to get better soon, Yugi. But, if there is something else going on, please, let us know," Tea said, and Yugi gave her a small, reassuring smile.

"I will. Thank you all. And again, I'm sorry for worrying you like this."

Yami found it hard to convince himself. He couldn't find it in his heart to believe Yugi's words, not one bit. As the others walked away, he stood there, his mind a mess as he tried to decide how to deal with the situation. Yugi was hurting just as he was. But if it was the same, then the warning would also apply…

"Yugi, wait," he said, and his hand reached out and stopped Yugi from closing the door before his mind could process his actions.

He looked at Yugi who watched him fearfully from the crack in the doorway, and it was then when Yami settled on a course of action. He would be a hypocrite by doing this, but he didn't care.

"Yami, what is it?" Yugi asked softly, and the boy let out a surprised yelp as Yami pushed open the door and forced himself into the room.

"Tell me the truth. What's going on?" he demanded.

It took all Yami's strength not to have a mental breakdown as he shut the door and gazed at Yugi who looked like a puppy that had been kicked into a corner. It was the first time after a long time did he look as panic-stricken as he was now, but it was enough to put Yugi on edge.

"Really, Yami, I'm fine-"

"No you're not!" Yami shouted, and he clenched his hands when Yugi jumped with surprise. "Yugi, please," and a hand went up to his forehead, bowing his head with despair as his emotions started to overpower him.

Seeing him in this state must have sparked something within Yugi because the boy broke down within seconds.

"Well I can't! I can't tell you," Yugi cried, and he covered his mouth with his hands, staring at Yami with shock as tears rolled down his face. "I really can't tell you. If I do… I don't know what could happen."

"I don't care," Yami growled, and he swallowed the thoughts of his own torment. "I want to help you, and whatever it is I'll stop it. Please, Yugi. Trust me," and his hand reached out to Yugi's neck to tug at the collar, revealing just one of the many bruises.

The reaction was instant. Yugi's eyes flew open and he staggered back, a hand pulling his shirt back up. He shook his head furiously.

Yami didn't give up. Pleading with his eyes and gulping deeply, an attempt to steel himself for the onslaught, he tried to convince Yugi to show him the marks.

"Let me see."

Yugi took another step back, cowering with fear.

It was supposed to be just him. If it was only him then everything was easier. Why was his partner involved?

"Yami, really, it's nothing serious," Yugi attempted to say, but Yami's frustration limit was broken.

Without warning Yami grabbed Yugi and began unbuttoning the jacket. Yugi shouted, but his struggles only allowed Yami to remove the garments easier. The blue coat slid off, and soon red on a white shirt forced Yami to drop his hands completely.

Yami's mind went blank. His ears rang with a dead, shrill silence. And before he knew it, his knees buckled. He faintly sensed the dull throb that shot up his knees as they collided with the floor, but that was all. He heard Yugi shouting, and felt the other shaking him furiously.

"Yami? Yami, snap out of it. Yami!"

How could this happen? Why, dammit?! Yugi had given everything up for him, and as his guardian, he never wanted to cause Yugi any more harm. And now this situation… He was a failure. He couldn't stop it. He couldn't even think of where to start.

Yugi continued to call out to him. His own sadness gone, Yugi had nothing but concern. Yami felt even more wretched, unable to bear the twist his gut made with guilt. He couldn't have Yugi worry over him like this.

Fighting to retake control of himself, his hand went up to Yugi's face, managing to wipe the tears away, only to have his arm fail him. The dropped dully to his side. He clenched them, feeling the tremors overtake his body.

"Yami, I'm sorry. It's… It's not as bad as it looks," Yugi tried to explain, and to see the boy smile brightly to shrug off the situation made him feel worse on the inside.

"Yes it is, Yugi. It's my worst nightmare. I should be the one apologising, not you," Yami murmured, and he stiffened as the air felt tighter. "How… how could I let this happen?"

He was speaking to himself, but Yugi took it as a question directed towards him. Yugi clutched his shirt tightly, breathing steadily as he debated an answer.

"I don't know, Yami. I don't know. It just started one day out of nowhere, and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't even tell you."

Yami didn't need to know more. He already knew it all. But Yugi proceeded to show him the extent of his sufferings. With slight deliberation, Yugi began to remove his shirt, revealing the bloodied words upon a scratched body.

 _Don't tell._

"I couldn't tell anyone. With no idea what this person was capable of, I couldn't take the risk. Especially since they are able to physically hurt me without even touching me. But, now that you know…" and Yugi started to shake, looking at Yami with wide eyes as reality dawned on him. "They can hurt you. They can hurt anyone! What, what have I done?!" and Yugi started to panic once more, crying with fear.

Yami reached out and grabbed his arm, his shock subsiding.

"No, Yugi, stop. We can figure this out. I'm with you, okay."

Yugi shook his head.

"No, you don't understand! I-"

"I do, Yugi! Trust me. I'll find a way to stop this."

Yugi wasn't convinced. Tears continued to trail down his face, and all Yami could do was hold him in his arms, being careful as he patted his back soothingly, feeling the quivers that wracked the small frame.

Yami clenched his eyes tightly shut, unable to do nothing more to soothe the other half of his soul suffering in his arms.

"Yugi, I brought some tea… Yugi?!"

The sound of the voice and a cup dropping to the ground made both of them look up, but it was too late. The blood stained clothes and the battered body was in full view, leaving Grandpa shaken to the core as horror grew within seconds.

Yugi leaped from Yami's arms, covering his chest.

"Grandpa…"

"Yami… Yugi, what, what happened?! Who did this!?" Grandpa shouted, and he rushed over, taking Yugi in his own arms and surveying his form.

Yami stood, eyeing them carefully. Good. Yugi needed the support, part of his mind thought. But the majority was studying another topic. The secret was revealed. What now?

"Hey, what happened?!"

"Mr. Motou, the shouting…"

"Yugi!"

Yami turned, and at the door was all of their friends, eyes wide with shock and stuck on Yugi who let out another burst of sobs after being caught completely. The boy had given up. Nearing Yami, Yugi dropped his head against Yami's back, crying silently.

Indeed. Now what?

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading! There may be some repetition here and there, but I tried my best to minimize it. And, the chapter… I wanted to make it more, tense, but I'm not sure I captured it perfectly, especially with Yugi's half of the secret being revealed. Just tell me your thoughts, and I will edit accordingly.**

 **Thank you. Until next time: Bye~**


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